Rebecca Hall Joins Johnny Depp for Wally Pfister’s TRANSCENDENCE

Christopher Nolan’s long-time cinematographer Wally Pfister is set to make his directorial debut with Transcendence, a secretive sci-fi project that already has Johnny Depp and Paul Bettanyon board. You may now add The Town’s Rebecca Hall to that enticing cast. Transcendence opens on April 25, 2014. Hit the jump for full details on Hall’s casting announcement.

Hall reportedly beat out the likes of Rooney Mara and Emily Blunt for the female lead in the film, which Warner Brothers has locked in for an April 25, 2014 release.

From a screenplay by Jack Pagien, with Nolan himself on board as executive producer, not much is known about the actual plot beyond the bare-bone basics: A man (presumably Depp) uploads his brain to a super computer. Well…cue excitement.

As for Hall joining up, it’s a smart choice. I consider her one of the finest actresses of her generation, with elegance and wit to spare. If you haven’t seen it please give the indie dramedy Please Give a watch. She’s great in it.

Check out the full press release below:

LOS ANGELES, CA, MARCH 5, 2013 – Rebecca Hall is set to star alongside Johnny Depp and Paul Bettany in Oscar-winning cinematographer Wally Pfister’s directorial debut, TRANSCENDENCE, it was announced by Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove, co-founders and co-CEOs of Alcon Entertainment, which is financing and producing the project.

Principal photography is set to begin in April in Los Angeles. Warner Bros. will release the film on April 25, 2014 via its output deal with Alcon.

Written by Jack Paglen, the screenplay was developed by Annie Marter and Straight Up Films, whose company principals include Marisa Polvino, Kate Cohen and Regency Boies. Polvino, Marter and Cohen will produce along with David Valdes (“Book of Eli”), Johnson and Kosove. Boies will co-produce.

Hall is known for such films as “The Town,” “Please Give”, “Frost/Nixon” and Woody Allen’s “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” which earned her a Golden Globe nomination. She also starred in Nolan’s “The Prestige” alongside Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Michael Caine. Hall will next be seen in “Iron Man 3” for Marvel/Disney, “Closed Circuit” for Focus Features and “A Promise” directed by Patrice LeConte.

Pfister most recently served as cinematographer on “The Dark Knight Rises,” and on last year’s best picture nominee, “Moneyball.” Other credits include such films as “The Italian Job” and “Laurel Canyon.”